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Posted by MarybethW on November 09, 2002 at 21:52:42:
In Reply to: My 3 month old posted by Aimee on November 08, 2002 at 19:49:58:
Aimee, As you can see by the responses here, you are not alone. My daughter slept through the night from 6 weeks of age until about 10 weeks of age, and then it all changed (and it got really bad - she was up and needing me on an average of every 2 hours). We're now struggling with trying to get her to fall to sleep on her own and stay asleep for longer periods. She's never napped well for me on a consistent basis (usually 1/2 hour naps!), which is hard on the Mommy. And she gets overtired quickly and then is fussy and hard to handle. And from the get go she needed to be carried all evening. The period between 2 months and 5 months was the WORST. During the day, especially in the early morning, she's a dream. But 4 pm begins her witching hour, as well - even still at 6 months of age. What's worse is that she hates to ride in the car, especially in the evenings and at night, so I'm TRAPPED. So, I can empathize. If you want to accomodate your son's need to be carried around and your need to get stuff done, consider a sling or pack. I put Alex in the Baby Bjorn carrier (she hated the sling) and she just tools around with me, doing laundry and making dinner, etc. She especially started to like this when she could hold up her own head enough to face out. And sometimes she falls to sleep - probably out of sheer boredome - and I can put her down! If your son is too heavy (Alex has always been petite), that might be hard on you. Alex is almost 6 months old and about 16 lbs now, so it's getting hard for me to carry her for very long. But, thankfully, she's getting more independent and I can put her down more frequently now - she especially likes the exercaucer. Some books that you might find to be good resources: All three of these books take very different views on parenting and infant sleep, and in them you might decide on and develop your own parenting approach around these issues. One other really wonderful resource... if you decide that your goal is to encourage your child to go to sleep and stay asleep independent of sleep associations and props, try working with Rowena Bennett at www.babycareadvice.com. Rowena answered a message that I posted to this board a while back about the same subject that you're struggling with, (Changing Sleep Habits for a Spirited Child posted on 11/01 & response 11/02). Check out what she had to say there, and if you would like her further assistance, you can reach her at the website listed above. She's been a great support to me in my efforts. Take heart - I've talked to several Moms on this message board whos children's sleep habits are worse than yours. I know that you're probably feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, and fearfull that you'll become resentful of the whole parenting experience if things don't change. So, if you resent it, change it. I need to sometimes be reminded that I am the Mommy and it's my job to guide my child, and that I do have the power to help my child to make positive changes for her own health and well being (as well as mine) You're always limted by the individual you're dealing with, but even a small change in the right direction keeps you from losing your marbles. Hang in there. This, too, shall pass! All too quickly. Keep us posted. Marybeth
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Parenting the Fussy Baby and High Need Child
Secrets of the Baby Whisperer
The No Cry Sleep Solution